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John E Davies

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Everything posted by John E Davies

  1. The RockStar guard looks very cool but it has a couple of serious design flaws IMHO. Are you committed to buying them? I researched a bunch of options and settled on Rock Tamers as the most effective design, before I graduated to the Stone Stomper. John Davies Spokane WA
  2. Thanks for the review, I had not seen that one. I used to get Practical Sailor in print years before there was an Internet. Having access to all the digital back issues would be a great benefit. I no longer do more than occasionally paddle a canoe, though it would be tempting to read unbiased reviews about marine products and boats. John Davies Spokane WA
  3. OK, here is a strategy. Without driving a truck you have no clue if it is right for you. Tell the sales droid at that dealership that you want to go on a 20 to 30 minute test drive with FOUR NEW 1500 (light duty) four wheel drive pickups, one from each of those four brands, on a route that includes both side streets and freeway. Tell him you need to get an initial feel for them to see what appeals to you before you can get down to specifics. Ask for a mid- level trim, crew cab, and short bed for each so that they are sort of comparable. Ask for the biggest engine that would be suitable for towing. Drive the exact same route with each truck. Drive them all back to back, then make notes about the your impressions while they are still fresh in your mind. Be sure to note any big sales discounts on previous year new trucks and don’t ever tell him you might buy off their used lot. Just say you are undecided but wanted to try new trucks. Then take his card, thank him profusely and LEAVE. Whichever truck you liked best, try to find it as a rental and drive that sucker all over the place over a weekend. Hit the road and go to some cool places, use it as you would if you had an Ollie. After this, you should have enough info to go out and pick something that wll work for towing and most of all, one that you will enjoy driving. All the major rental agencies have light duty pickups. Finding the brand you want might be harder, they may want to hand you the keys to a Ram rather than the F150 you want. Even if you can’t get the one you liked best, take whatever they have, the general driving experience will be very similar for your weekend test. Then you can go back and test individual used or new trucks with enough experience to make an informed decision. Then you can decide, light duty or heavy duty, packages, trim level, accessories, etc. This is hard work, but keep a firm hold of any emotions or stresses, and above all enjoy yourself. You can research and stare at trucks day after day, but until you actually drive one you simply have no clue... the one you arrive back at the lot in, grinning like the village idiot, might be the right choice. John Davies Spokane WA
  4. Well no offense but you should have told us this last stuff, first; it would have saved a lot of unnecessary conversation... It was sort-of working then made a horrible sound and quit completely. It is toast, pure and simple. It was only a waste to you because it is defective. Put a working one in and you might enjoy it. The unit has a two year warranty,... how old is yours? John Davies Spokane WA
  5. It may be fried, does it have a nasty smell? Inverters lead a hard life, yours may need to be replaced. In your shoes, heading out on a huge trip, I would just install a new one, let the RV shop figure out and fix any additional problems. Assuming you can even get an appointment. I think you are at a decision point now. Are you comfortable installing a new one yourself? After you disconnect the two inverter cables at the battery bank it is a simple and no risk job, 30 minutes maybe. Unbolt three cables, unplug a couple more, four screws and out she comes.... OTH in your shoes I might throw the darned thing in the trash and do without.... mine failed at around 14 months and I got a free replacement. I don’t think these are especially reliable. Good luck. John Davies
  6. BINGO ! Salespeople know very little about what they sell. An exception might be the manager of the Fleet Sales dept at a new car dealership. Never assume that anybody selling used cars knows anything useful about the vehicle you are sitting in. Their background may include shoes or yard care. There is NO requirement when hiring that they know anything about anything. It is all about the Big Smile, the firm hand shake and grip the shoulder, and empty conversation. Have you actually driven any trucks? What did you like or dislike about them? Do you have a car nut friend who could go with you? Buying used will save you money but you pay for it in aggravation, reduced or no warranty, an unknown service history, hidden problems (possibly major) and you have to sit in a cabin that the previous owner sweated smoked and farted on. Buying a brand new truck at a steep sales discount has many advantages, the biggest for a traveller is you can stop at any dealer, say “Fix it under warranty” and drive off to go shopping and then go back to your Ollie in their free loaner car. John Davies Spokane WA
  7. Nan, when you run into a technical term you don’t understand the quickest way to find an answer is to go to Google and enter the term and “Wikipedia”. For example... Flex fuel Wikipedia gets you to .... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexible-fuel_vehicle There are other useful places to visit online, the manufacturer website is one, but Wikipedia usually gets you a fast answer. But since it is info added and re-edited by random people it is not 100% accurate. Carmax is a useful place to shop but their prices are always high. AutoTrader is what I use to find a vehicle at dealers. Treat this whole thing as a great adventure, drive lots of trucks, do NOT be pressured by anyone, ask here, remember that there are a GAZILLION used trucks out there, so you can be patient until you find the one that really appeals to you. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA
  8. “Don’t cut the red wire!” Wasn’t that a line in a movie? Mine is not connected to anything, don’t worry about it. You should fold it back on itself and secure it and also secure those loose floppy wires with nylon ties. Any excessive motion while traveling causes chafing and stress on connections and stuff. The earlier hull numbers like yours and mine have less than satisfactory wiring. Buy a big sack of good quality 11 inch nylon ties (not from Harbor Freight or Walmart) and whenever you open a compartment and see wires like that, lash them down. It could prevent future unpleasant electrical issues beside some isolated Yukon backroad.... BTW, where is your inverter located? Later units have it below and behind the pantry, but there are no furnace ducts there, I guess yours is on the right side somewhere? Good luck and above all, enjoy your big trip. John Davies Spokane WA
  9. Thanks Bill, cool videos but I am not looking for a homemade solution, but rather a consumer grade gauge for the toolbox at home. Long ago I had a carpenters water level, which never actually worked. At all. Now I have a laser level. Also I had a mercury manometer which had four glass columns and was perfect for synching four carbs on a motorcycle. You just had to remember not to rev the engine and snap the throttle closed or it would suck all the mercury into the engine. Ahhhhhh the good old days before things got banned. John Davies Spokane WA
  10. I am thinking about buying one to check the low pressure supply at the propane appliances (downstream from the tank regulator). Any recommendations? I have this one bookmarked... https://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Jacket-78060-Complete-Test/dp/B0016H12KS/ref=cm_wl_huc_item Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA
  11. That is pretty cool. And if you haul this behind your motorhome it can charge itself. Or you could have your big onboard generator running also, with an umbilical to provide even quicker charging. I am not yet convinced about the truth in their extravagant range claim (400 miles) and I am not sure I would drive one of these on a completely solo back country trip, but as a toad behind a big RV it would be awesome for exploring those primitive high passes and desert byways. John Davies Spokane WA
  12. Keep the tires harder if you have no TPMS. Keep them harder if you travel a long way at high speed. Keep them harder if you have an Elite, which has a higher tire loading and may be more prone to instability than an Elite II (my opinion only). Increase pressure if your new lower pressure makes the trailer feel less stable. A large pressure change has much more effect as the number gets closer to the recommended minimum value. For example, a change from 80 to 60 is fine. But a change from 50 to 40 is not - work your way lower gradually! If you don’t want to bother with all this, set them at 55 or 60 and just check them every now and then.... IMHO. The way they are delivered with 80 psi is simply way too high and it will just beat up your expensive trailer. FACT. Interesting article. Scroll down for more of them from a company that really knows their stuff. https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/210453/file-20229690-pdf/docs/importance_of_optimum_tyre_pressure_and_temperature.pdf John Davies Spokane WA
  13. Roughing it along the Snake River SW of Pullman WA, NW of Lewiston ID, on the east bank of the river. There is a nice 9 spot county campground a little north of here (Wawaiwai County Park -no hookups $15) but the free dispersed pullouts along the highway a mile south of there are the best. This one is at Granite Point, a granite dike in the horizontal basalt beds that are so typical of this region. It can be very windy, especially if the direction funnels it along the canyon. There is a train track nearby, we saw two short slow freights in 18 hours. Highway traffic is local, minimal and non-existent at night. There are a few barges making their way along through the locks, and an occasional fisherman. There is a lot of wood debris, sometimes big logs, in these lakes, which are downstream from Hells Canyon .... a sturdy boat is best, like a Duckworth Jet, or you risk prop damage. Just south of the county park is the rowing center for the Washington State University rowing team. There is a public boat launch there and a viewing area so you can watch the training runs and competitions. Our spot got lots of sun once it got above the surrounding hills. I got to test my new flagpole and spinner wind art. I’ll post a separate thread about that. I love these COE lake spots. John Davies Spokane WA
  14. I don’t have many miles on “Mouse” , but have used these Dexter brakes for decades. They don’t usually wear out unless you are really hard on them and don’t use your gearing on descents. What happens is that they get bound up from rust and/ or the seals leak, contaminating the linings. That causes violent locking of the wheel, very distressing. The Nev-R -Adjust system is a joke. The seals are pure Chinese junk. There is not much you can do for contaminated linings, if that happens you need to replace both brake assemblies on that axle and use the high quality Timken seals to reduce the likelihood of a future leak. I already replaced the front set with a manually adjusting pair, which are dirt cheap, due to a failed seal. If the other ones go before I get around to getting discs, I will do the same for that axle. I hate electric trailer drum brakes with a passion. Oliver needs to offer an electric over hydraulic disc brake option. BTW at 24k miles you are way past due for an inspection and bearing repack. John Davies Spokane WA
  15. I went from 45 to 42 psi and after 300 miles I think I will keep it there. I will check tire temps when I get a stinking hot day. So far the they are fine but the air is cool. I run full fresh tank and am around 6000 pounds, max. John Davies Spokane WA
  16. My oops..... You have a Zamp and I an clueless about that, I assumed it was the Furuno like mine. That one is 10 amps, as stated in its Owners Manual. It sounds like the Zamp is a heavier duty unit. You should be OK but you are smart to verify. It would be good to have a max rating straight from Zamp. In writing. I think the max load rating has more to do with how much current can be carried between the two pairs of mating pins and their soldered connections, rather than through the wires themselves. For a really secure and reliable heavy circuit, like a winch or just something you want to be close to bulletproof, I would pick Anderson Powerpole connectors. I am a huge fan of them. John Davies Spokane WA
  17. Bill, I personally would be reluctant to assume the liability. Any commercial towing recovery company can do it safely and professionally and they have insurance that will cover any damage. They would need a door key so they can make sure stuff is secure inside, plus a key to a coupler lock. That is the method I would use if I were in this situation. I would also contact the campground owner to ask them to make sure the trailer is left leveled, locked and chocked with the roof vents open. The tow driver can leave the keys with them. BTW this is a scenario we as older owners should think about and plan for. I hope things work out . john Davies Spokane WA
  18. I love the middle pic. Can you please take another from the very same spot when the sky turns blue? That would be great shot for a Christmas card. John Davies Spokane WA
  19. You may be OK with the 15amp fuse but I personally would not do it. The outside receptacle is rated at 10 amps max. Your 160 watt panel should connect to a pair of receptacles to share the load. It would be easy enough to add a second circuit and make a heavy gauge splitter cable. Stay warm. Neat pics. John Davies Spokane WA
  20. My Messaging seems to be working now. John Davies Spokane WA
  21. Calculations on paper never equate to the real world. There are a lot of hard-to-quantify errors and losses involved in converting sun to battery to inverter to air conditioner to comfortable occupants. Many steps, many sets of losses - battery condition, monitor error, compressor start-up surges, resistance losses through wires and connections .... no way you can get what you think you should get. Sometimes close has to be good enough. Thanks for doing the experiment. Your results are impressive anyway. I will take my cookie now. John Davies Spokane WA
  22. Ken, I don’t think using just the two center screws with a backing plate behind would be nearly strong enough. That would be a lot of stress on two small fasteners. By riveting the plastic backing plate the load is shared evenly by six fasteners, not counting those two great big honking 1/4” screws that used to hold the TV up. I do plan to leave the fan locked in the down position normally, that will place less stress on the cam lock mechanism when towing. Most of the parts are plastic, I think the fan will hold up OK but I would not take chances with it. John Davies Spokane WA
  23. That storm came through here a couple of days ago and dumped a bunch of rain, we have had some severe localized flooding. It was essentially stalled out, so any cells really put down some water. I hope it moves quickly past your spot. My advice is, take lots of pictures. Stay warm. Wait for the snow to go away before hitting the highway. John Davies Spokane Wa
  24. Reed “karenlukens” with Hull 200 had a small street side small awning installed at a Casita shop, I think he was very happy with it. I can’t find that thread. He has not been active in a long while, you can try sending him a Message if that works for you. My messaging is broken.... here is his page. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/my-profile/karenlukens/?profiletab=forums EDIT.... I found a couple of pics here. .... http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/reed-karens-blog/page/6/ But again, I can’t find the thread where he discussed it. John Davies Spokane WA
  25. Why mount that huge regulator onto the plastic cover of the gennie, rather than leaving it loose? It seems like it would be really easy to damage the mounting area, and transporting the gennie in a different way would be risky and awkward. I really like the concept but I have some big reservations about the method. Is there a smaller low pressure regulator that might work? Does the Eco throttle still function? Are there any jets that can be altered for high altitude operation? I have that same unit and it is a great generator. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA
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